


Leave with Me

by SasuNarufan13



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon up until just before The Last, Fluff, M/M, Mending the ending, Naruto's birthday fic, Naruto's pov, Sasuke To The Rescue, Slash, smidgen of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:00:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: To be quite honest, he isn't looking forward to being badgered by Sakura on his own birthday party, but it doesn't look like he has much of a choice. Until someone in particular shows up, someone who might make this night perfect after all.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 61
Kudos: 307





	Leave with Me

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: You didn't think I had forgotten about Naruto's birthday, did you? :P Finished this one just now; it's not overly long I suppose, but it's something and I hope you'll enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.
> 
> Dedicated to: our favourite Jinchuuriki, because he deserves to be happy!
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Leave with Me**

"That makes how many presents already?" Shikamaru asked, eyeing the bright red wrapping paper with faint curiosity.

Naruto wrinkled his nose; the echo of the footsteps of the girl who'd given him in the present still rebounding in the hallway as she hurried down the staircase. "The twelfth one so far."

"Man, someone's popular," Shikamaru smiled.

"Don't forget that everyone is gathering tonight at Ichiraku's to celebrate your birthday, Naruto," Sakura reminded him for the umpteenth time. Her pink hair was tied back in a short ponytail, ready to start her shift in the hospital after they had finished up their mission just now.

Her green eyes glistened when she added with a teasing smile, "Hinata is going to be there as well, so don't be late!" She walked away, going down the stairs before Naruto could think of something to say in response to that.

"She's not letting that one go, hm?" Shikamaru said sympathetically.

"No, she's not," Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He smiled faintly when his friend clasped his shoulder.

"Well, try to get through tonight without being driven crazy by her," Shikamaru said lightly. "I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto watched him leave, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his steps slower than Sakura's or that girl's had been.

Uttering a soft sigh, he unlocked the door of his apartment and entered it, pursing his lips at the amount of presents awaiting him here. He dumped the new gift on top of the rest and walked over to his bed, dropping down on it, spread out like a starfish.

It wasn't that he disliked getting birthday presents; far from it even, especially after having grown up never getting any at all, because the villagers were too fixated on seeing the demon fox that had ruined their home instead of the small kid who'd lost his parents and was forced to grow up all alone.

So the gifts on their own weren't bad; what did make him uncomfortable was that most of them came from people – girls – he didn't know at all. Girls and women who had suddenly started paying attention to him two years ago after the Last Shinobi War had ended. The same people who had ignored him at first, turning their heads away whenever he just came near them, were now clamouring for his attention, batting their eyelashes and giggling at whatever he said.

The sudden change in their behaviour made him uneasy, had him questioning whether they really liked him or whether they just liked the fact that he was considered to be one of the main heroes of the war. It wasn't a nice thought to have about them, but the way they clung to him was just off-putting in general.

And then there was Hinata.

He had no idea what had got into Sakura's head nor into that of the rest of his female friends, but since a year they were very insistent on him taking out Hinata on a date, reminding him over and over again that she had feelings for him. He couldn't join a conversation without it suddenly turning to the subject of her feelings and it was honestly starting to aggravate him.

She was a nice girl, no doubt about that, cute and sweet as well, but he couldn't answer her feelings simply because he didn't feel the same. He'd tried to tell his friends that, but they kept waving away his words, insisting he just needed to take her out at least once. Especially Sakura could be annoying when it concerned Hinata, because it seemed that was all that could leave her mouth nowadays: how Hinata had feelings for him, how nice it would be if he and Hinata went out with each other, how cute they would look, and really, Naruto, what are you waiting for? She won't be alone forever, you know!

It was driving him absolutely bonkers and he had no idea how he could finally convince all of them that he didn't share Hinata's feelings, no matter how much she liked him.

" **Maybe you should just admit to having a horrid taste in partners, that might make them back off,"** Kurama suggested idly; two of his tails swishing back and forth leisurely.

"I don't have horrid taste, what are you talking about?" Naruto retorted offended, scowling at the giant fox demon.

" **You're in love with that Uchiha brat, yes, you have bad taste,"** Kurama said dryly.

Naruto instantly turned a bright red. "That doesn't mean I have bad taste, you bastard!"

" **Yes, because it really speaks of exceptional taste to be in love with someone who can control you with their despicable eyes,"** Kurama drawled, staring down at him through half lidded eyes.

"You know, I think I liked you better when you were ignoring me," Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. "Less judgment then."

" **Less judgment? Please,"** Kurama snorted. **"I've been judging you since the day I got sealed in you, kid. Nothing new there."**

"See!" Naruto pointed accusingly at him. "It's that kind of shit behaviour that makes people think you are an arsehole!"

The demon fox bared his teeth. **"Good thing I never cared what you humans think about me."**

"Eugh, you're no help," Naruto mumbled, scrubbing his hands over his face.

" **How am I no help? I literally told you what you had to do. Are you that daft that you can't even understand direct instructions?"** Kurama scoffed. **"All those females might want to rethink their feelings for you then."**

"I can't just tell them I lo-like the bastard," Naruto huffed, pouting.

" **Why not? Seems fairly straightforward to me."**

The blond waved his arms around in distress. "Because I don't know whether he likes me, all right? Besides, Sakura-chan would murder me if I dared to say that aloud!" He shuddered, already imagining the absolute fury she would explode in if she knew he had feelings for their old teammate.

" **Kid, if you're really that dumb, there's no hope for you,"** Kurama told him bluntly and closed his eyes, putting his head down on his paws. **"Now shoo, I've got better things to do than give relationship advice to some brat."**

"I didn't even ask your advice in the first place!" Naruto huffed, but Kurama ignored him.

Figures. He was surrounded by bastards, really.

* * *

Kakashi had refused to give him another mission, stating Iruka would kill him if he dared to send Naruto on another mission during his birthday, so after lazing around in his apartment for a bit, ignoring the large pile of presents from the anonymous givers, he eventually grew too restless and left again.

Aimlessly wandering through the village turned out to be a big mistake, because even more girls and older women sought him out, intent on giving him presents, all the while giggling and assuring him they would be at Ichiraku's tonight to celebrate his birthday. That wasn't as reassuring as they thought it was, though.

He managed to escape for a little bit by hiding out in Tsunade's home; the big breasted doctor amused by the harried look on his face.

"It's not funny," he grumbled, slumping down in his chair.

"I would think you would like all the attention," she remarked, sitting down across from him. "All these people finally acknowledging you and giving you presents."

"But they don't know me!" he bit out annoyed. "They've never looked at me in all these years and now all of a sudden they don't want to leave me alone. Sakura-chan keeps trying to convince me to take Hinata-chan out and she refuses to listen to me when I tell her I don't want to do that! They keep pushing me to her and they just don't want to listen to me!"

His sudden outburst even surprised him and Tsunade's brown eyes widened considerably before her face softened.

"Sorry," he muttered embarrassedly and hid his face in his hands. He hadn't meant to be that blunt and rude, but everything was becoming a bit too much for him, with not being able to go outside on his own birthday because people kept insisting on accosting him.

It was ridiculous to admit such a thing, but he found himself wishing he could go back to obscurity, to the time when people just walked past him and didn't try to bother him. To the time when he knew who his real friends were and he wasn't left wondering each and every time whether a person really liked him for himself or just because he was now a hero and considered the future Hokage after Kakashi stepped down.

"That bad, huh?" Tsunade said sympathetically. "I'm sorry, kid. It's awful when people refuse to listen to you and think they know better than you know yourself."

She sounded like she was speaking from experience and he peeked at her through his fingers. She was gazing out of the window with an absent look in her eyes as she swirled her sake around in her cup.

"You have any idea what I should do?" he asked despondently.

He didn't want to anger or disappoint his friends, but he was becoming beyond tired of constantly being pushed together with Hinata.

"Don't settle, don't let yourself be pushed into something you don't want," she answered simply. "That's the best advice I can give you, brat."

Well, at least she understood him. That was more than he could expect of most people.

* * *

Thirty minutes before he was expected to arrive at Ichiraku's still saw him in his apartment, standing in the middle of it as he contemplated what he should do.

He had put the presents of the people he didn't know in the closet, figuring he could donate them at a later time when he was actually in the mood to find out what they had given him. After leaving Tsunade's place, he'd gone straight to his apartment again, unwilling to linger in the streets where girls kept clamping onto his arms, trying to ask him out. It was ironic, really, how once upon a time he had dreamt of being this popular, being jealous of Sasuke even for attracting attention wherever he went.

Being popular, able to get all the girls, had seemed so wonderful for little lonely him. The thought alone had been amazing for someone who had grown up ignored and hated for something he hadn't even understood at the time.

Now that he was this popular, however, he was starting to understand why Sasuke had always been so aloof to downright rude at times. It wasn't fun being bothered by people you didn't even know, having to reject their advances over and over again because they were too insistent and didn't get the hint. It wasn't amazing having to constantly wonder whether people liked you for yourself or because of something you had done.

"Man, no wonder he had such a giant stick up his arse," Naruto muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Talking to yourself already? Seems like turning older isn't good for your mental health."

_That voice …_

Heart already beating quicker, Naruto spun around, eyes widening and his mouth dropping open at the sight of his best friend climbing through his window. He soundlessly landed on the floor; his long dark cloak making him blend in perfectly with the shadows. His hair had grown just a tad longer and he had removed the scarf, leaving his sideway fringe to cover up his right eye.

He paused when he noticed the blond man staring at him dumbly and said dryly, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I didn't know you were visiting!" Naruto blurted out, taking a step forwards before he could think about it.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Figured it was time I showed my face again. It's your birthday, so." He shrugged, as if him stopping by for a visit on Naruto's birthday was not that significant.

Knowing how much Sasuke disliked the village – and not being able to fault him for that, after all that the Council had done to Sasuke's family – made his visit tonight not that insignificant, though. The complete opposite in fact and Naruto found himself rushing forwards, grasping Sasuke in a tight hug before he could reconsider his actions.

He had only barely inhaled a whiff of the forest, fresh pine and earth, clinging to Sasuke before he felt the man stiffening in his embrace, muscles locking together.

His cheeks burning with embarrassment, at once he remembered that Sasuke wasn't really the affectionate type and he cleared his throat weakly, preparing to retreat. "Sorry about that," he laughed weakly. "Force of - "

He shut up immediately when Sasuke sighed, his muscles relaxing almost as quickly as they had tensed up, and then the man was hugging him back; the remainder of his left arm resting against Naruto's shoulder and his fully functional arm wrapped around his back.

"Guess you're still the same troublesome idiot after all," Sasuke muttered.

This time Naruto's cheeks warmed with a different sort of heat and he bit down on his lip, unable to keep his grin from broadening as he took Sasuke's action for the permission it was and hugged him tightly back, secretly revelling in the feeling of having his best friend pressed against him, willingly embracing him.

There had been a time when Sasuke would have tried his hardest to dislodge Naruto from him, refusing to do so much as touch him if it wasn't required to save his butt from danger. They had long since passed that point, though, and he found himself blinking rapidly to stall the hot tears stinging the back of his eyes.

Fuck, why was he even going to cry now? There was nothing to cry about!

Cold fingers brushed against his cheek, startling him, and when they retreated, the tops glistened wet; one dark eye studying him carefully.

Naruto laughed jittery, stepping back and quickly rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes. "Sorry for that," he croaked and cleared his throat again. "Got something in my eye."

"Uhuh," Sasuke said unimpressed, but surprisingly let it go. Instead he said, "I'm surprised to still find you here. I heard people saying they were going to celebrate your birthday at Ichiraku's when I was making my way over. I would have thought you'd be the first one there."

"Well, there's this thing called being fashionably late, you know," Naruto said weakly and he didn't even need to hear Kurama's disbelieving snort to realise that he didn't sound that credible.

"I thought there was no being fashionably late for ramen," Sasuke murmured; his visible eye sharpening. "Did something happen?"

"Nah, just …" Naruto hesitated, unwilling to sound whiney and ungrateful in front of his best friend. Not after having had to miss him for several months now.

"Just what?"

"Just … not in the mood to be told over and over again by Sakura-chan that I should ask Hinata-chan out for a date," he gave in begrudgingly, too tired all of a sudden to force a happy façade.

"Hyuuga?" Sasuke frowned, leaning back against the wall. "She still has a crush on you?"

"Apparently," Naruto muttered and wrinkled his nose. "I've told her several times already that I'm not interested, but … She kind of doesn't want to listen." He shrugged helplessly.

"That doesn't surprise me," Sasuke scoffed. "She still thinks I'll change my mind and date her."

Right, because Sakura still had a crush on him. "But you're not going to?" Naruto asked carefully.

The look of utter disdain had him reluctantly smiling amused. "I've never been interested in her and I never will be. If she refuses to accept that, that's on her."

"Yeah, guess she's even more stubborn than the both of us together," Naruto mumbled, linking his hands behind his head. He probably should leave now if he wanted to be on time for his party, but the prospect of being nagged by Sakura again for an entire night, the girl finding every possible excuse to put him and Hinata together … It wasn't one that filled him with excitement.

"For someone whose birthday it is today, you don't look very happy," Sasuke observed.

"Ah, I guess I should be, right? Kind of ungrateful of me to be unhappy when so many people want to celebrate it with me, but …" Naruto pressed his lips together, feeling awful for sounding so whiny and selfish.

"But?"

"But I don't want to keep fending off questions about when I'll finally ask Hinata-chan out," he admitted haltingly. "She's nice, just – not the right one."

"Hm." Sasuke studied him for a moment longer, the silence between them strangely charged. When he abruptly pulled himself away from the wall, Naruto jumped surprised.

"Leave with me," he propositioned out of the blue.

Naruto stared at him. "What do you mean, leave with you?"

"Exactly like I said: leave with me. Join me on my journey," Sasuke explained; a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

It was such a rare sight that it had the blond staring mystified at him for a moment before his words registered. "Wait, I thought you wanted to be alone on your journey? You said you needed time for yourself!"

"And I got time for myself. Two years of it." Sasuke shrugged. "And it made me realise that I needed someone with me more than I thought. So what do you think? You want to leave with me?"

"I can't just leave with you like that," Naruto protested, but a part – one which was growing with every second that passed – of him thought, why the hell not? Why not join Sasuke on his journey?

"Why not?" Sasuke stared at him frankly. "You've got nothing tying you down here. Perhaps if you leave, they'll finally realise that they need to stop pushing you."

"But that's not the reason why you're suggesting it," Naruto said, narrowing his eyes into a squint.

"It's not," Sasuke agreed with a faint smirk. "So what do you say? You want to travel with me? Live a little before you take up the role of Hokage?" His smirk widened; his eyes – the hidden one flashing purple through the black strands of hair – glistening almost mischievously.

"Yeah, okay, I'll come with you," was what left Naruto's mouth when he opened it and he reddened when that made Sasuke's smirk transition into a genuine smile.

"There's the reckless, spontaneous usuratonkachi I know," Sasuke teased. "I've got a present for you before we leave."

"Oh?" Naruto perked up, for the first time today actually growing excited at the thought of receiving one. "What is it?"

"This."

In a flash Sasuke was in front of him and before he could react, cool lips touched his own in a sweet kiss at the same time something was pressed into his slack hand. His fingers automatically closed around the object even as his brain was screaming, miniatures of himself running around in shock as he realised stumped that Sasuke was actually _**kissing him**_.

And not even accidentally this time!

"Wha…" Naruto gaped when Sasuke pulled back.

"Made me think of your eyes," Sasuke said and the comment sounded so odd, so out of the blue, until his gaze flickered down to Naruto's hand, prompting Naruto to look down.

To find a shiny, deep blue stone resting in the middle of his palm.

"Oh," he murmured dazed.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," Sasuke said softly, caressing his inner wrist. "Leave with me, please."

There was not a single doubt left in his mind when he looked straight into dark eyes and smiled, "Yeah, okay."

* * *

By the time an irate Sakura stormed into the empty apartment, ready to give her friend a good lashing for being late for his own birthday party, all that was left was a simple note.

' _Sorry guys, but I need some time to myself. Tell Kaka-sensei I'm sorry for missing out on missions! I'll be back soon, take care!'_

* * *

"They're going to be so pissed when they find your note," Sasuke commented amused, his hand rucking up Naruto's shirt and slipping underneath it to touch warm skin.

They had found a hotel for the night, unwilling to travel any longer when his birthday wasn't even over yet. The room came with two separate beds, but in unanimous accord they laid together in one bed, pressed closely together to make up for the lack of space.

"Probably," Naruto muttered, his own hands dipping underneath Sasuke's shirt, intrigued with the way muscles subtly tensed underneath his touch before relaxing. "But maybe now they'll stop bugging me about finding a girlfriend."

"And if not," Sasuke pushed him onto his back and rolled on top of him, "then I'll just have to make it clear you're no longer on the market."

"I have a feeling you would love doing that," Naruto deadpanned, butterflies racing in his stomach when Sasuke smirked down at him.

"Everything for you," Sasuke promised and lowered his head to kiss him, blanketing him with his body.

As far as birthdays went, Naruto mused, wrapping his hands around Sasuke's neck, this one was definitely the best.

Leaving with Sasuke, being together with him – that was the best present he could have ever hoped for.

Much better than Ichiraku's even.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> AN2: Kind of the same vibe as Will You Stay? which works out perfectly considering Will You Stay? was Sasuke's birthday fic and this one is Naruto's.
> 
> I hope this one wasn't too bad and that you at least liked reading it!
> 
> Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
> 
> I hope to see you all back in my future stories! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!
> 
> Cuddles
> 
> Melissa


End file.
